


Embers in the Night

by Sarcastic_Metaphor



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU where Jet doesn't die, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Jet (Avatar) Lives, M/M, Mild Blood, Mutual Pining, Zuko knows what its like to have an identity crisis, i think this counts as a character study, jet on the inside: oh no hes hot, jet on the outside: i hate u
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24708229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarcastic_Metaphor/pseuds/Sarcastic_Metaphor
Summary: Zuko never expected to see the glint of those hooked swords again. Or that mop of wild hair. No less in his own palace, in the dead of night, and seemingly out of thin air. Zuko’s bedroom doors were flung open as his guards came pouring in, hearing the initial shout of their Fire Lord as he fended off the specter that snuck into his bedroom.The light from the hallway threw rays of golden glow over his assailant’s face. Zuko thought he’d never see those harsh, dark brown eyes again. He lowered his fists, just a few inches.“Jet?”
Relationships: Jet & Zuko (Avatar), Jet/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 67
Kudos: 1023
Collections: A:tla





	Embers in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> K so I just finished binge watching Avatar and GOD i never realized how good Jetko was. Two angsty, loner boys together is my absolute jam. But please be mindful of the tags, bc there's some blood and injury in this fic toward the end, but it's not super graphic. 
> 
> ALSO I kinda forgot about the Ember Island episode so I guess this is an AU where Zuko never found out that the Gaang and Jet have met before. By the time I noticed that inconsistency in my fic, it was too late and I didn't want to rewrite like half of it to fit better. RIP me.

Zuko never expected to see the glint of those hooked swords again. Or that mop of wild hair. No less in his own palace, in the dead of night, and seemingly out of thin air. Zuko’s bedroom doors were flung open as his guards came pouring in, hearing the initial shout of their Fire Lord as he fended off the specter that snuck into his bedroom. 

The light from the hallway threw rays of golden glow over his assailant’s face. Zuko thought he’d never see those harsh, dark brown eyes again. He lowered his fists, just a few inches. 

“Jet?”

As his guards came to restrain the boy who had snuck into the _Fire Lord’s_ palace, Jet refused to take his eyes off of Zuko. He said, “So it really is you.”

What he had been expecting otherwise, Zuko had no idea. He almost wished it was a normal assassin who nearly killed him. Those were easier to deal with, at least. No complicated emotional strings tied to them.

* * *

“Why are you here?” Zuko asked. 

It was very late into the night, Agni’s eye not due to open for another few hours.

Jet sat in the plush, silk-lined chair across from him. He should be thankful that Zuko didn’t have him thrown in a cell for the time being. As it was, he was unarmed and sitting in one of the palace’s spare bedrooms. Zuko’s guards were currently at attention outside the closed doors. 

But now that he was under proper lighting, Zuko could see that there was something off about him. There were dark bags under his eyes, and he had been stripped of the clothes and armor Zuko once associated with him. Jet had come to him dressed in Earth Kingdom robes with the knee and arm bracers of a Fire Nation soldier. The rest of his garb was a mix of green, black, and red. Like a scavenger.

Jet’s gaze bore into him. Even as Zuko stood across from the other boy, looking down onto him, he couldn’t help but feel that it was Jet who had come to question him. 

“You’re the Fire Lord.” Jet said, voice steady and cold.

_(No,_ not quite cold. So full of fire and fury that his heated words felt like ice on Zuko’s skin.)

Zuko raised his chin, just an inch. “I am.”  
  
Silence. Then Jet lowered his head and laughed. 

“I was right then… you really were a firebender.”

Zuko crossed his arms, cocking his head to the side. 

“Is that really what you came all the way to the Fire Nation to find out?”

Jet exhaled through his nose, amused. He looked up and propped his feet on the ornate, gold-gilded low table between them. 

“Your security sucks.” He said. 

Zuko had always been easy to bait, but no more. 

“Then tell me, how did you sneak in?”  
  
He had finally thought that he had discovered all the palace’s blindspots and weak points. Jet shrugged. 

“There’s a gap in your guard posts, in the west wing. Just below the tower with the window that points toward the sea.”

Zuko knew exactly what Jet was talking about. He pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Jet. I don’t doubt that you still hate me. You have every right to. But the war is over, and I don’t know what you expected to find here.” Zuko sighed, in and out, to soothe his inner flame, “I won’t have you arrested for this. But in the morning, please just leave.”

Jet removed his feet from the table. He stood. Not coming closer but already too close to begin with. He studied Zuko, who stood before him bereft of his robes of silk or the hairpiece that signaled his status.

“Deal with assassins a lot?” Jet asked, as if he were asking about the weather.

Zuko let out a humorless chuckle. “Too often.”

His smile fell. “Don’t try to be one of them, Jet. You’ll regret it.”

It was a fair warning. Zuko left the other boy alone and returned to his quarters. 

He didn’t sleep at all, heart beating too quickly to truly grant him any rest. When Zuko got dressed and started his morning routine, a servant came to tell him that Jet had left. He thought that would be the end of things between them. 

Three days later, he reappeared. This time, sitting in Zuko’s spot under his favorite tree overlooking the turtleduck pond. It was barely dawn, the sky just beginning to be kissed by the sun. Zuko stared at Jet, at the piece of wheat flicking back and forth in his mouth like a lazy serpent’s tongue. 

“Why are you back?”

“There’s a hole beneath your southern wall, probably dug by a fox-shrew.”

_“What?”_

Jet pushed himself to his feet. At any moment, if Zuko wanted to, he could call the guards. Or roast Jet himself. The other boy had to have known it too. 

Jet said, “You said you get a lot of _unwanted_ guests.”

“And?”

“I’m doing you a favor, so you don’t have to go through all the trouble of fortifying such a massive, luxurious palace.” 

There was a biting edge to his words, a sense of taunting that Zuko had learned not to rise up to. Not by Zhao, and not by Azula. And certainly not by the Earth Kingdom boy who had snuck into his palace twice now.

“What do you want?” Zuko asked. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by Jet’s games when he had meetings with citizens and advisors alike. 

Jet shrugged. “Everyone says you’re so much better than the last Fire Lord, but I wanted to see for myself.”

Zuko raised a brow and honestly could have laughed in Jet’s face. In the year since he became Fire Lord, he had had more attempts on his life than in the past three combined. 

“If you get what you want, will you leave me alone?”  
  
Jet tilted his head to the side and shrugged. Zuko was willing to take his word (or lack thereof) for it. He was not the angry, bratty boy he was when he first found Aang.

“Then move over, you’re standing in my spot.”  
  
Zuko still had another half hour before his day formally began, and he fully intended to bask in the morning sunlight like he originally planned. Jet sat off to the side, flicking his stalk of wheat with impatience as Zuko meditated under the rising sun.

* * *

Li _\- Zuko-_ could fool the world, but he couldn’t fool Jet. The Fire Nation was rotten to the core, the worst of them being the previous Fire Lord. Jet held no doubts that the mysterious young man he knew from Ba Sing Se could only be as bad. The people of the Fire Nation were all monsters. 

(And he could prove he was better than them.)

So yes, he stowed away on a ship and found himself in the Fire Nation’s capital, the heart of the empire that had once hungered for the whole world. The people dressed in reds and whites greeted him as if he were any other refugee/former colonist/tourist. Children ran past him with laughter on their lips. Street vendors selling baubles or kebabs shouted to attract attention. Jet ignored all of it. He snuck into the palace. He found the Fire Lord as he was about to retire for the night. 

And Jet didn’t know what to expect. Maybe a ring of fire or an entourage of executioners. Instead, he found the young man he once stole food with on the ferry to Ba Sing Se. He found the fighter who willingly brawled with him in the middle of a tea shop. He found the mysterious boy Jet once called Li.

And he looked tired as hell. Hair let down from his crown as he rubbed a hand over his eyes. Shoulders sagging as he assumed he was alone. Jet felt a flash of anger go through him.

What was wrong with him? Didn’t the little Fire Lord know better than to let his guard down?

_There was no war in-_

_There_ is _no war._

Without a plan, Jet snuck in through the window and landed inside the Fire Lord’s bedroom. 

And he came back, because he had gone so far already, and he wasn’t about to just turn around and give up so soon. The Fire Lord needed to be taught a lesson, that his walls were not as impenetrable as he would like to think. And yet… nothing he did or said seemed to truly phase the Fire Lord, even after breaking into his palace. Like he knew, wherever he went, he was not fully safe. 

And if so, why was he so trusting?  
  
This wasn’t the first time Jet had tried to hurt him. He was a threat. He could slit the Fire Lord’s throat right now, as he meditated with his eyes closed. Jet stood up, hoping to see the Fire Lord’s eyes widen with a flash of fear. Instead, the other boy inhaled and exhaled. 

“Are you hungry?”

Jet faltered. 

“What?”  
  
The Fire Lord opened his eyes. The amber hue of his irises reminded Jet of both agonizing flames, and the joy of stealing from a single greedy ferry captain. 

He pushed himself to his feet. “Come on, if you’re going to freeload in my house, I might as well feed you.”

Jet was led to a dinning hall and sat down at the Fire Lord’s table. The food prepared was probably very modest for royalty, but still more than what Jet usually ate in one sitting. His stomach growled. 

“Nothing is poisoned.” The Fire Lord said, with mild amusement. “Have some tea, at least. It’s imported from the Earth Kingdom, my Uncle sent it to me.”

Jet watched with a smidge of growing amusement as Zuko poured a cup of tea for _him._ Though he didn’t drink any until he saw his host drink as well. Jet raised the cup to his lips.

It was really good tea. (Not that he’d ever admit out loud.)

* * *

The Morning Greetings was a tradition that was abolished with Sozin, but one that Zuko had taken to near the start of his reign. He opened the gates to his palace, and for at least an hour each morning, his subjects from across the nation were permitted to come to him with requests. Most were the mayors or leaders of miniscule villages in need of more funds or food. (Almost always granted.) Some were Fire Nation citizens that were born and raised in the colonies, and were less than happy about their entire lives being uprooted or disturbed. (A fairly complex issue, granted that _technically,_ many of them also counted as naturalized Earth Kingdom citizens. Still, he bowed a small degree appropriate for the Fire Lord, and promised them he was working tirelessly to ensure all his citizens were cared for. Watching their looks of surprise were also always amusing.) A few more were ordinary citizens seeking his personal blessings and good wishes upon their marriage, crops, newborn children, etc. (Always granted.) 

All the while, Jet leaned against the wall, glowering behind the guards who stood watch over the throne room. Perhaps Zuko could introduce him to the palace’s therapy bobcat-dogs. They were good at alleviating stress.

The rest of the day was filled with meetings with advisors and generals to finalize the retraction of remaining Fire Nation troops from across the world. Zuko lost sight of Jet, and part of him hoped that the other would give up his odd little crusade and return home. Another part of him wasn’t as surprised as he should have been when Jet reappeared late that night, right before Zuko was about to go to bed. 

“You should have more guards watching the roofs. Once you get up there, it’s easy to sneak in.”

Zuko hummed low in his throat. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jet continued to watch him, and his brown eyes looked pitch black beneath the dim shine of the moon. 

“Would you like to be repaid for your services?” Zuko asked, only half serious. 

Jet raised a brow and cocked his head to his side. His hooked swords were held loosely at his sides. 

“I don’t want your money, Fire Lord.”

He said Zuko’s title like it was a swear. Zuko sighed. He could always have Jet tossed out of the palace by the guards, but that seemed a bit excessive. What would Uncle do if he was faced with such a petulant, stubborn boy? 

(Go on a three-year hunt for the avatar with him while speaking mostly in proverbs, of course.)

“Then what _do_ you want, Jet?” Zuko asked. “I’m not your enemy anymore.”

* * *

Jet’s grip on his swords tightened. He clenched his jaw. He didn’t want it to be true. That the people of the Fire Nation could be normal human beings with children they loved and mundane concerns. They ~~could have been~~ should have been worse. 

_Hundreds of lives in exchange for a few dozen soldiers._

They should have been cruel.

They should have been selfish. 

They all should have been worse than Jet.

He dropped his swords and ran a hand through his hair. Some scars were bone deep, and no amount of regret or repentance could cure them. Jet needed something to oppose. He needed to believe there was still freedom to fight for and enemies to ambush.

Zuko stared at him with knowing eyes.

Jet stayed in the Fire Nation palace for another night. But he woke up tired in a way that no amount of sleep could cure.

* * *

Zuko was oddly fond of turtleducks. The little creatures, as soon as they saw their Lord and heard the sound of tearing bread, flocked to him like he was their mother. It almost made Jet laugh. 

“There are still people in the Fire Nation pushing for me to reignite the war.” He said, “I’ve faced economic crises, uprisings, or assassins almost every month.”

Hasn’t he only been Fire Lord for a year?  
  
Time was still something Jet was grappling with. First came the Dai Li and whatever in spirits’ name they did to him. Then came the conquering of the entire Earth Kingdom. And, despite not having recovered fully from his injuries (not even close), Jet had been prepared to raise a new army of freedom fighters in Ba Sing Se. But the war ended before Jet’s crusade even really began. 

Smellerbee and Longshot tried to talk him out of coming here time and time again. And he abandoned them as soon as he was strong enough to fight and think for himself. Just to travel across the world and face (kill?) someone who had never once wronged him personally.

Zuko said, “I used to wake at the smallest sound, but now I barely sleep at all.”

Jet didn’t blame him. He replied, “I still get nightmares about Ba Sing Se.”

Long Feng, the walls coming down, the sight of endless red amongst a city that was only supposed to be green and gold. 

“Where are your friends?” Zuko asked. 

Jet stared down at the rippling water. 

“Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Maybe trying to find a new home or start new lives.”

Longshot and Smellerbee were good people. They had more heart than Jet ever would. 

“The war has been over for a year now,” Zuko said, as if he kept needing to reinforce it, “So… what are you going to do?”

Jet swallowed and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

For so long, Jet’s greatest enemy was the Fire Nation. His greatest ambition was to drive them from the Earth Kingdom. Even in Ba Sing Se, he couldn’t let go of his obsession with defeating them. 

(How in the world could he look at a village full of children as young as Smellerbee and The Duke and _do that?_ )

What was he without his hatred?

Zuko put a hand on his shoulder. 

“There’s always more work to do, and you’re good at finding the blindspots in my palace’s defenses.”

Jet raised a brow, mouth dry. “Are you asking me to stay?”  
  
“I’m offering you a job… if you want it.” 

Zuko added the last part hastily. He glanced to the side and pulled his hand away. Only in its absence did Jet notice how warm his touch was. 

“And if I say no?” Jet asked.

“I’ll let you leave. I’ll pay for your travels back to Ba Sing Se, or wherever you want to go.”

Jet snorted. “After I threatened the Fire Lord? Isn’t that a crime punishable with death or something?”

The corners of Zuko’s mouth twitch. “I’ll let the past few nights slide. Besides, I’d hardly call you threatening.”

Jet let out an indignant sound, and realized with horrifying clarity how easily the two of them had fallen into banter. Zuko laughed, the sound soft and sweet. Not like honey, though, more like cinnamon-spiced ale on a cold day. Zuko continued to feed his turtleducks, oblivious to Jet’s internal moral crisis. 

“What if I say yes?” Jet asked. 

Zuko smiled at him. All the anger and frustration from the ferry and the tea shop had vanished from Zuko’s face. In place of his harsh scowl were gentle eyes. Forgiving eyes. 

“I’d think you’d make a great guard.”

Jet’s heart skipped a beat. Spirits, he had forgotten what the sensation of having good company was like.

* * *

The first week of Jet’s job involved learning the layout of the palace and the usual schedule that Zuko followed. The rest consisted mostly of finding his footing. He didn’t like being around the other guards, not with his knee-jerk reaction to draw his swords at the sight of them.

“Hey, boss.”

_Fire Lord Zuko_ was laughably formal and awkward on his lips. Just _Zuko_ didn’t sound right, either. So Jet had found some more comfortable middle ground.  
  
_(Jet_ used to always be the boss, though. But maybe he needed the change of pace.) 

Zuko looked up from the scroll he was reading. Some of the old men sitting at the table with him sneered at Jet as he entered the room. But as far as Jet could tell, this wasn’t a private meeting. He had seen other advisors and even a servant or two coming and going. 

“What is it?” Zuko asked, not missing a beat. 

“Completed my rounds for the day, I wanted to know if you’re in the mood for a sparring session tonight.”

Zuko smiled at him. “After dinner?”  
  
Jet shrugged. “Whatever’s best for you.”

Zuko nodded. But before Jet could leave, one of the sages/advisors (Jet still couldn’t tell the difference between them) stood and slammed a hand on the table. 

“Young man, I am aware that you are unfamiliar with our customs. But you ought to show the Fire Lord some respect and refer to him by his proper title.”  
  
Zuko waved the old man off. 

“It’s fine. Jet is a friend, and not one of my citizens anyways.”

There was still a strange sense of cognitive dissonance when Jet heard Zuko refer to him as a friend, but he didn’t say anything about it. He only smiled and winked at the old man who had stood up.

“You heard the boss,” he said, knowing he was goading them further. Zuko rolled his eyes, but his faint smile gave him away.

* * *

Jet hadn’t expected the Fire Lord to bring swords to a fight. Though, looking back, he had been momentarily surprised by ~~Li’s~~ Zuko’s use of dual blades in the tea shop.

“I didn’t know you were a sword fighter.” He said. 

“I studied when I was younger.”

The training hall was void of anyone besides them, a nice blessing. Being surrounded by stuffy Fire Nation nobles and staff had started to drive Jet insane. Ironic, that he found solace in being alone with the Fire Lord. 

He lowered himself into a proper stance as Zuko unsheathed his blades. They looked so _right_ in his hands, like he knew he could trust those blades with his life.  
  
Zuko lunged, Jet rolling out of the way and snagging his foot on the end of his hooked sword. Zuko grunted as he nearly fell over, but rolled with his momentum and ended up back on his feet. It was almost exactly like the tea shop, except there were no eyes on them and no Dai Li. 

“Is that the best you can do?” Zuko asked, voice taunting but holding no bite. 

Jet shot him a smirk. “You know it isn’t.”

Around and around, they danced in a clash of metal and the thunder of their footsteps on the marble floor. But Jet hadn’t been able to train as much as he wanted since his injury, chest still sore from the phantom pain of broken ribs. 

He grunted, wind nearly knocked out of him, as he fell to the floor. One of his swords skittered off to the side. His other was kicked out of his grasp. 

The end of a single blade tilted his chin upward. Zuko was smiling at him. Some of his hair had come loose from his topknot, and Jet thought he looked better that way. More like a rogue fighter and less like royalty.

Zuko pulled his sword away and offered Jet a hand. After a moment’s hesitation, he took it. And then he realized something as Zuko bent down to pick up one of Jet’s swords.

“How come you didn’t use your firebending on me?”  
  
“Hm?” Zuko looked over his shoulder. He shrugged, offering the sword to Jet. “I assumed it was going to be a swordfight.”  
  
Jet accepted his sword. “You can’t fight and firebend at the same time?”

Zuko barked out a laugh. “If you wanted it so badly, I’ll remember to firebend next time.”  
  
_Next time._

Jet’s heart did that frantic pitter-patter thing again. 

* * *

“You know, we have actual uniforms for guards.”

“And?”

Jet wasn’t about to put on the garb of an actual Fire Nation guard, not even for Zuko. They were alone now, sitting out in the courtyard as the sun began to set. The turtleducks were returning to their nest as the sky grew dark. 

Zuko glanced over Jet’s form. 

“You don’t have to scavenge or fight for things anymore, Jet.”

His stomach lurched with a mix of apprehension and outrage. His old clothes from when he was a freedom fighter symbolized who he was. A world-weary warrior who had to fight tooth and nail for every bit of armor he could steal or find. Jet never cared much for how he dressed in the way that he didn’t care for matching colors or things like _elegance._ But he did like proving what he was capable of.

Instead, all he managed to say was, “I don’t think I’d look very good in red.”

The green in his tunic separated him from those around him, which was what he wanted. Zuko gave him a strange look. 

A few days later, Jet found a stack of new clothes waiting for him in his bedroom. And a chest full of spare armor. Among the articles of clothing, Jet could see green. Green and white and gray and blue. Some of the clothes were in traditional Fire Nation fashion, but were pale beige in color. Undyed?

Zuko found Jet in the middle of trying on a new tunic, a smile forming on his lips.

“What’s so funny?” 

The Fire Lord came closer.

“Tunics here don’t usually show so much skin, and are usually worn with something beneath them.”  
  
“It’s _summer._ Why would I wear layers?”

Zuko shot him another amused look. Firebenders and their love of heat.

“Here, just tie it off with this.”

Zuko picked up a wide strip of cloth. A belt or sash, maybe? 

Jet had just been using them to wrap his knuckles and arms with. He took the offered cloth and tied it loosely around his waist. Zuko raised a brow.

“The ends are too long, let me do it.”  
  
“Wh-”

Jet’s words died in his throat. He swore, he could feel the heat from those hands even through his tunic. 

“What are you doing?”

Zuko didn’t look up as he undid the knot Jet had made. 

“I know what it’s like to fight in Fire Nation clothes. It’d be a pain if this came loose.”

And the way Zuko did it, folding it so it was half the length, made it feel more stiff and secure around his waist. The ends trailing from the clean knot weren’t as bothersome either. 

What _was_ bothering Jet were those hands and their _heat._

How was he going to sleep that night, knowing how warm the Fire Lord’s hands were?  
  
“Thanks,” Jet said, ever articulate. 

Zuko nodded, still somehow painfully unaware of what he was doing to his guard.

* * *

Jet should have expected this eventually. He knew Zuko was friends with the Avatar, the whole world did. But knowing that and knowing he’d actually come face to face with Katara and the others again was a whole different beast. Yes, they had been on better terms in Ba Sing Se, but they also knew him from before that. Zuko didn’t. Zuko only knew Jet as the punk he stole food with and the guy who (maybe wrongfully) stalked him. Not the best record, but Zuko didn’t know who Jet was before his attempt at a fresh start. And… he didn’t want that to change.

So when a familiar sky bison landed in front of the palace, Jet hung back and watched from the shadows as Zuko went to greet his friends. There were laughs and friendly touches as they spoke, too far away to clearly hear what they were saying. 

Jet went back inside. He needed someplace quiet to think.

* * *

“Zuko, look! I’m almost your height!” 

He rolled his eyes, “You don’t need to brag, Aang.”

At least he was still taller than Toph. As they made their way inside the palace, Zuko noticed that Jet was missing from the place he was before. Surprising, given that Zuko assumed he’d want to meet the Avatar. 

“You’ll all be so proud of me when you hear this,” he said. “But I managed to become friends with someone without chasing them across the world first.”

Toph punched his arm. 

“Way to go, Sparky!”

Katara asked, “Are they coming to Ember Island with us?”

“I hope so. He’s working as my guard, actually.”  
  
“Like guard-guard or bodyguard?” Sokka asked. 

Zuko opened his mouth, but paused. Jet was closer to him than his other guards were, often trailing him from place to place. 

“Bodyguard.” He said. 

“Then where is he?” Toph asked. 

Zuko bit his lower lip. “I’m not sure, but I think I know where he might be.”

* * *

Jet thought the training hall would stay empty. That Zuko would be off doing Fire Lord stuff with the Avatar or whatever. 

“Having fun?” How did Zuko make his voice so effortlessly aloof, yet fill it with the worst mix of concern and disappointment possible? The heated spice of his voice washed over Jet’s shoulders. 

He turned around, sweat just starting to gather on his brow. He asked, “Where are your friends?”  
  
_Your_ friends, because Jet certainly couldn’t call Katara and the others his own.

Zuko leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “They’re somewhere else. We’re all planning on going to Ember Island tomorrow morning. Want to come?”  
  
“No.”  
  
Beaches weren’t really Jet’s thing. He much preferred tall, shady forests to sandy, flat shores. 

Zuko frowned and was silent for a moment.

“Are you mad at me?”

_“What?_ No!” Ignoring that he had originally come to the Fire Nation to maybe kill Zuko, what made the other think that Jet was mad?

Zuko took a step closer. “Are you upset about something else?”

“No-”  
  
Jet fought the urge to take a step back. He just needed space. He wasn’t ready for this.

Zuko stopped a few feet away from him. “Then what’s wrong? You can talk to me, you know that?”  
  
_Yes._ Yes, Jet did. Because Zuko wasn’t the monster Jet once thought he was. He wasn’t even the pouty, rude loudmouth from Ba Sing Se. And staring into Zuko’s amber eyes, the same color as the setting sun, Jet understood. And spirits, he was so in over his head.

He looked away. “I’ve met your friends before. Twice, actually.”  
  
“Then why are you here?”

Jet tapped the end of his hooked sword against the floor, trying to fill the silence as he searched for the right words. 

“They knew me from before Ba Sing Se.”

“Oh.” 

Zuko sighed. He didn’t know what Jet was like back then, how willingly he would have killed Zuko without a second thought. At least in Ba Sing Se, Jet had tried to find proof he was a firebender first.

“Are you the same person as you were before?”

Jet jerked his head upward, staring at Zuko with wide eyes. “No! No, I’ve changed. I’m- I...”  
  
_I’m not_ good _but I’m at least getting better._

Zuko closed the space between them and put a hand on Jet’s shoulder. Spirits, did he know how warm he was?

“I know from experience, Jet. So long as you genuinely mean that, they’ll forgive you for whatever you did.”

Zuko couldn’t know for sure. Jet never truly reconciled with Katara for the town, or with Aang for attacking him below the lake. 

“Do you want to come talk to them now?”  
  
The Jet from a year ago would be strangling him now if he could see how badly Jet wanted to follow those amber eyes. And that warm voice. Zuko was the first person to forgive Jet. To keep forgiving him. Facing Katara and the others didn’t seem as daunting if he had Zuko with him. 

Jet nodded. 

Zuko smiled and gave his shoulder a final squeeze. They left the training hall together, and found the others in the dining hall. 

“Hey, guys. So this is my new guard.” And behind Zuko came Jet. He didn’t have the gall to try smiling at them.

Instead, he just said, “Hey.”

* * *

Zuko was taken aback by how surprised the others were when they saw Jet. For Katara, it was like she was seeing a ghost. She stood, wide eyed and almost breathless.

“How are you alive?” She asked. 

And maybe Zuko had misinterpreted Jet’s relationship with the others, given that they all thought he had apparently _died_ in Ba Sing Se. If he knew that, he would have opened with just a little bit more.

As Jet recounted what had happened to him, healing from his injuries and trying to survive after Ba Sing Se fell, Zuko noticed the furrow in Toph’s brows. Knowing her, she was trying to detect any lies or oddities in Jet’s heartbeat. 

Jet ended his story when he recounted how he reached the Fire Nation palace almost two months ago. How time flies.

“And I’ve been working here ever since.” He said, leaving it at that. Zuko didn’t blame him for not wanting to go into the immediate aftermath of their first encounter.

“Huh. Small world.” Sokka remarked. 

“Yeah, I had no idea you two knew each other.” Aang said. 

“Well… I’m glad that you’re happy here.” Katara said. 

Jet rubbed the back of his neck, leaning his other elbow on the table. “Yeah, I am too.”

Zuko hid his growing smile behind his teacup.

* * *

Jet noticed that Zuko hadn’t taken the royal procession into town. No palanquin, and no guards (other than Jet himself). Maybe he felt comfortable amongst his friends, and Jet couldn’t imagine many assassins that would try to pick a fight with the Avatar. 

Still, Jet didn’t like big crowds. Not even when he was in Ba Sing Se. There were too many people, not enough allies, ~~and no idea who he could trust-~~

His nostrils flared when Sokka grabbed Zuko by the arm and pulled him into an armor shop. Jet leaned against the wall near the door, arms folded over his chest, while he watched the others mill about. Pretty soon, however, Toph came over and stood next to him. Though she wasn’t looking at him, she was smiling like he had just said something funny.

“A few months is pretty damn fast, if you ask me.”  
  
He frowned. “What are you talking about.”

Toph cocked her head toward Zuko, who was trying to talk Sokka out of buying an obscenely ornate set of armor. 

“You like him.”

Heat flared up in his neck and face. Jet swallowed the indignant sound that tried to rise up in his throat. 

“What are you talking about?”

Toph leaned her head back against the wall, still not looking directly at him. “Hey, I’m not judging. I might not know you as well as the others do, but even I can tell you and Zuko are really close.”  
  
“I work for him.” 

“More than that.” Toph said, “Zuko must have made you fall really hard, and really fast.”

Jet hissed at her, shushing her because what if someone else heard? What if _Zuko_ heard?

“You gonna try and deny it?” She asked, just a little bit taunting like how the younger freedom fighters acted. 

“No- I mean, I’m not gonna-”

Why was she still giving him that shit-eating grin?

Jet exhaled through his nose. “Fine. Yes. I like him.”  
  
Thank the spirits that the others were causing a racket on their own, so they nearly drowned out his whisper. Toph hummed in satisfaction.

“Well, good for you,” she said, “when are you gonna tell him?”  
  
_Never._

Despite still not facing him, the girl pointed a finger in Jet’s face. 

“Listen, Jet. I can tell when people are scared. But Zuko likes to believe in the best in people. And he of all people knows the importance of second chances.”

She lowered her hand and pushed herself off the wall. “If I were you, I’d give it a shot.”

Jet’s heart beat a little faster. He grabbed her sleeve before Toph could walk away.

“Wait, do you know if he feels the same way?”

And Toph laughed. “If you know Zuko as well as you think you do, you can figure that out for yourself.”

She pulled herself out of Jet’s grip and wandered over to the others. 

* * *

The sun hung low in the sky by the time they returned to the palace. Zuko trailed a step behind the others and fell in line with Jet.

“See, not so bad. Right?”

In the rich hues of crimson and gold that fell upon the city, Zuko’s eyes looked like they glowed. Jet swallowed. 

“Yeah… today actually went better than expected.”

Zuko beamed at him. “Good, I’m glad.”

* * *

Jet woke up from another nightmare. He sat up, feeling the frantic pulse of his heart, and forced himself out of bed. Sweat clung to his skin. The Fire Nation was always warm, even at night. He fumbled with the latch to the balcony doors and flung them open. The breeze from the sea washed over him, bringing a slight chill down his spine.

He braced his arms against the railing and took a deep breath. 

_The catacombs, the lights. The men in black robes and the earthen hand covering his mouth and stifling his screams-_

Jet sucked in a breath, and let it out. He probably wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep that night. Too much restless energy in his bones. So he threw on a fresh shirt and strapped his swords to his back. If he was going to stay up all night, he might as well make himself useful. 

The halls at such a late hour were quiet, with only the patrolling guards to keep him company. Sometimes the cooks worked late into the night, either before or after large feasts. But even the kitchens were quiet. 

Jet missed the sound of the wind in the leaves and the creak of tree branches as wide as his chest. Going up to the nearest column, he braced his arms against it and began to climb up. He reached the roof and hauled himself over the edge. And yet, it still wasn’t the same. There were tiles beneath his feet instead of rickety wooden bridges and he had never felt more _alone._

Jet ached for something so badly, it felt like his whole chest was hollow. What he wanted, he wasn’t sure. The war was over, and the world was entering a new era of peace. There was no threat to fear. Hell, he got a job working in a _palace_ where he could do as he pleased and no one could stop him. 

...Zuko would probably stop him if he got too rowdy, though. 

_Zuko likes to believe in the best in people._

Why couldn’t he just let go of the past? 

Jet started wandering across the roof, the need to keep his balance a good distraction from everything else. 

Except, he wasn’t the only one standing on the roof. Across from him, on the other side of the palace, he could see something dark and something big moving. _Running._ Heading toward the wall that lead up to-

Jet started moving.

“Someone’s broken in!” He shouted, startling the guards below him. 

No time to check if they understood him, Jet had other priorities. He began climbing up the palace wall, gripping window ledges, balcony rails, and anything else to haul himself upward. 

He reached Zuko’s room and kicked in the balcony doors. Something was burning, casting dim orange light across the room. He saw Zuko, with those amber eyes, breathing hard. A few feet away was someone in black, holding a knife darkened by something that dripped to the floor. They both looked toward the balcony as Jet lunged forward, using one sword to knock the dagger aside and slammed the pommel of the other into the figure’s head. The rest was a blur. 

Jet was certain one of his swords cut through flesh. Not that he cared. A dead assassin was better than a live one. Zuko ignited a torch mounted to the wall. Warm, wet red was seeping through his nightshirt. Jet called for the guards. The Avatar and his gang arrived. They helped lower Zuko onto his bed as Katara got to work, the blue glow of her waterbending enough to illuminate the stab wound in Zuko’s side. 

“There’s something wrong. His-”

Jet couldn’t hear. 

“-what-”

He couldn’t breathe. 

“- the knife-"

The first thing he truly registered was the low rasp of Zuko’s labored breathing. Those amber eyes were staring up at the ceiling as his friends surrounded him. Katara was kneeling on the bed over him. She lifted her hands upward pulling up red-stained water from the wound. Zuko hissed and let out a breathless, strained yell as his hands curled into the sheets. 

Jet surged forward.

“You’re hurting him!”  
  
“I have to get the poison out!” 

Zuko’s eyes darted toward Jet. 

He should have been faster. He shouldn’t have let this happen. 

Katara said, “Sokka, keep pressure around the wound for me.”  
  
Jet had dealt with wounds before, back in his days as a freedom fighter. The sight of blood shouldn’t have scared him so badly. But then he thought about how warm Zuko always was, and how badly Jet wanted him to stay warm.

At some point in the night, the palace doctors tried to take over. Not that Jet let them anywhere near Zuko. He trusted a waterbending healer far more than one dressed in red. 

An hour of two before sunrise, Katara declared that Zuko was in stable condition. He’d heal without a problem, so long as he didn’t strain his wound. Only then did she let the Fire Nation healers near, so they could dress their Lord in bandages and give him a special blend tea to help dull the pain. Zuko fell asleep not long after. 

“You should rest.” Katara said, “You’ve had a long night.”  
  
But Jet had never felt more awake. He shook his head.

“You’ve been through more than me. Go wash up and rest for a while. I’ll stay with him.”

There used to be this weird tension between them, back in Ba Sing Se. It was gone now. 

“You must really care about him.”  
  
“Of course I do!” Jet hissed, mindful to keep his voice low.

Katara didn’t flinch. She didn’t even seem surprised by his outburst. She only nodded in approval. The next thing Jet knew, he was alone with Zuko. The Fire Lord continued to sleep soundly, only an occasional twitch in his right eye as he slept. 

Jet paced the room, swords at his sides, and only occasionally stopped to survey the walls and ground outside the windows. When the sky started to change from indigo to a pale gray-blue, he heard Zuko grunt softly. Jet knelt on the edge of the bed, and had never felt more relieved to see those golden eyes. Zuko blinked at him. 

“Jet?”  
  
“I’m here.”  
  
Zuko tried to sit up, face contorting with pain. 

“Stop, you need to rest.” Jet said, carefully pushing Zuko back onto the bed. 

Zuko was still staring at him. “Thank you.”

Jet blinked.

_“For what?”_  
  
Jet had nearly gotten him killed. 

Zuko smiled, just a little bit. “You saved my life.”  
  
“I _failed._ I should have been faster-”

A hand closed around his wrist.

“Jet. I think I would have died… if you didn’t show up.”

The silence stretched between them. The little glimmer of light in Zuko’s eyes flickered. 

“Don’t be too upset, Jet. Remember what I said? An assassin at least once a month…”

Zuko trailed off into an awkward chuckle.

Jet snarled, “I’ll never let another one near you ever again!”

Zuko faltered, and Jet immediately felt even worse. He swallowed, frustrated. He just… he just _couldn’t_ lose Zuko. Couldn’t even handle thinking about it. Jet let Zuko hold his hand, not for the first time marvelling at how warm he was. But today, on that particular summer morning, Jet couldn’t get enough of that radiant touch.

Jet took a breath and steeled himself. 

“Zuko, I-”  
  
He was not prepared to be pulled down into a kiss. Zuko’s free hand was clinging to his shirt sleeve, holding him close. It wasn’t a perfect kiss, clumsy and sleepy but it made Jet’s heart lurch in a way he had never felt before. When he pulled away, Zuko let the hand holding Jet’s sleeve fall to the side. 

They were still holding hands. A thumb ran over the back of Jet’s hand.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.” Zuko said.

Jet was never the one to be at a loss for words after a kiss. Nor was he ever this breathless. He blinked away the blurriness gathering in his eyes. 

“Spirits, you’re amazing.”

Zuko turned his head to the side, and was he _blushing?_

He said, “So are you, Jet.”

To think this was the same guy Jet harassed for weeks on end. To think Jet would ever, _finally,_ find some semblance of peace. 

“Hey, Jet?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“I’m tired.”

“Then rest.”

Zuko’s hand squeezed Jet’s own. 

“Will you stay with me?”  
  
“Of course I will."

Careful of Zuko’s still tender wound, Jet laid down on Zuko’s other side. He nearly melted into the mattress after having spent so long on his feet. He sighed, closing his eyes as he finally felt content enough to let himself rest.

* * *

The trip to Ember Island never ended up happening. Instead, Zuko was largely resigned to bedrest while Katara spent what should have been their vacation healing him. Still, it was nice to see all his friends again. 

(Even though they all relentlessly teased him for falling asleep with Jet in his bed.)

The biggest positive of them all was something he thought he’d never actually have. 

Zuko still rose with the sun. When the first of Agni’s light shined upon him, he opened his eyes as well. Except now, Zuko was blessed by another gift. A warm weight by his side, and the soothing rumble of Jet’s chest as he continued to sleep. 

As well as a training companion as skilled with swords as he was. 

And someone to feed the turtleducks with him.

And someone to simply eat with and talk to amongst a sea of overbearing officials and advisors.

Long after his friends had left, returning to either the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe, Zuko still marvelled at his good fortune. He rolled over, most of the pain in his abdomen gone, and propped himself on his elbows above Jet. Distrubed by the sudden shift in the bed, Jet opened his eyes and blinked in the morning light. He threw an arm over Zuko’s waist, hand resting above the hem of Zuko’s pants. 

“You firebenders, you always get up too early.”

Zuko laughed softly. He lowered himself until their lips were touching. When he pulled away, he said, “And yet, you still put up with me.”

“Of course I do.”

Zuko’s inner flame sparked and flared up at those words, and at Jet’s sleep-rough voice. Zuko never expected Jet to come back into his life. He never expected to see those soft, dark brown eyes again. Or his familiar mop of wild hair. Zuko was once so used to life being difficult and unforgiving, and he couldn’t be happier with this change of pace.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and please don't be afraid to tell me what you think! I also have a twitter [here!](https://twitter.com/beepmareep)
> 
> update! This fic has art now! Check it out [here!](https://twitter.com/philipdotjpg/status/1288205240857026562?s=20) :)


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